The Virtue of Selfishness

Ayn Rand here sets forth the moral principles of Objectivism, the philosophy that holds human life - the life proper to a rational being - as the standard of moral values and regards altruism as incompatible with human nature, with the creative requirement of survival, and with a free society.

Very thought provoking. Better to read on paper. She is either way smarter than me, or has a hard time putting her thoughts together in a million words or less. I chose this book because I wanted to read something by Ayn. This was among the thinnest. I liked it, but I thought it was a bit pretentious. I'm sure Ayn was great fun at parties.

On Intelligence

Jeff Hawkins, the man who created the PalmPilot, Treo smart phone, and other handheld devices, has reshaped our relationship to computers. Now he stands ready to revolutionize both neuroscience and computing in one stroke, with a new understanding of intelligence itself.

...but towards the end I zoned out and haven't had any desire to listen to part 2. This genre usually holds my interest too. I can't really complain about anything - it's certainly not a bad book. I just didn't find it riveting.

Drive: The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us

From Daniel H. Pink, the author of the groundbreaking best seller A Whole New Mind, comes his next big idea book: a paradigm-changing examination of what truly motivates us and how to harness that knowledge to find greater satisfaction in our lives and our work.

The author divides motivation into 3 versions... 1.0 is physical (food & sex), 2.0 is extrinsic Pavlov and money stuff, and 3.0 is the top of Maslow's triangle and a heaping helping from the book Flow. I thought the book read well, and put a fresh coat of paint on some older info that we shouldn't ignore.

The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work

We spend most of our waking lives at work - in occupations often chosen by our unthinking younger selves. And yet we rarely ask ourselves how we got there or what our occupations mean to us. Characteristically lucid, clever, and inventive, de Botton's "song for occupations" is a celebration and exploration of an aspect of life that is all too often ignored and a book that shines a revealing light on the essential meaning of work in our lives.

John Lewis Needham says:"The private work life of a biscuit brand manager"

I love this author, but wasn't wild about this book. He presents some interesting perspectives but without some of the flare I have come to expect. Maybe it was the narrator (not his usual guy) while not bad, also nothing special. Worth the credits... just not awesome.

The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

This is a book about 10 "Great Ideas". Each chapter is an attempt to savor one idea that has been discovered by several of the world's civilizations - to question it in light of what we now know from scientific research, and to extract from it the lessons that still apply to our modern lives.

This is my favorite genre and I've come to expect either somewhat labored attempts at humor, painfully long examples, or a dead dull list of facts. This book is different. Every sentence and chapter is interesting and meaningful. There is a great mix of psychology and philosophy - of insight and thought provoking ideas. This is the best book I've listened to (or read) in a long time.

The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific

At age 26, Maarten Troost decided to pack up his flip-flops and move to a remote South Pacific island. The idea of dropping everything and moving to the ends of the earth was irresistibly romantic. But he should have known better.

Molecules of Emotion: Why You Feel the Way You Feel

How do our thoughts and emotions affect our health? Are our bodies and minds distinct from one another, or do they function together as parts of an interconnected system? Neuroscientist Candace Pert provides startling and decisive answers to these and other challenging questions that scientists and philosophers have pondered for centuries. She explains the scientific basis of popular wisdom and phenomena like "gut feelings" and makes comprehensible recent discoveries in cancer and AIDS research.

The Political Mind

This passionate, erudite, and groundbreaking book will appeal to readers of Steven Pinker and Thomas Frank. It is a fascinating read for anyone interested in how the mind works, how society works, and how they work together.

If you are a Conservative - don't buy this. It will make you instantly mad. I am not one, but I was annoyed that I learned more about the authors political views than about the Political Mind. Once I sifted through it there was some very good content, just way too much packaging. For me anytime someone is so over the top one-sided it's hard to trust their judgment. Even though I agree with him! So maybe you shouldn't trust me?

The New Yorker Festival - Anarchy and Animation: Cartoon Chaos Theory

Brad Bird is a director at Pixar Animation Studios and the writer and director of the Academy Award-winning animated feature The Incredibles. He also wrote and directed The Iron Giant and served as executive consultant on the TV series The Simpsons and King of the Hill. He completed his first animated film at the age of 14.

The Drunkard's Walk: How Randomness Rules Our Lives

In this irreverent and illuminating audiobook, acclaimed writer and scientist Leonard Mlodinow shows us how randomness, chance, and probability reveal a tremendous amount about our daily lives, and how we misunderstand the significance of everything from a casual conversation to a major financial setback. As a result, successes and failures in life are often attributed to clear and obvious causes, when in actuality they are more profoundly influenced by chance.

Your report has been received. It will be reviewed by Audible and we will take appropriate action.

Can't wait to hear more from this listener?

You can now follow your favorite reviewers on Audible.

When you follow another listener, we'll highlight the books they review, and even email* you a copy of any new reviews they write. You can un-follow a listener at any time to stop receiving their updates.

* If you already opted out of emails from Audible you will still get review emails by the listeners you follow.